"Kitazawa, how come you have time to drop by today?"
Hyuga Hiashi raised his hand slightly, showed a faint smile, and said, "Come in, let's talk in the study."
"There's something I want to discuss with you, Clan Head Hiashi."
Kitazawa nodded and followed him into the study.
"If something comes up, you can just have Anbu deliver the message. You don't have to come in person."
Hyuga Hiashi said this as he started making tea.
Kitazawa picked up on the subtlety.
Had his status already risen to the point where the head of the Hyuga clan had to be this polite to him?
"Please, have some tea."
Hyuga Hiashi put the freshly brewed tea down in front of him.
After Kitazawa revealed his Wood Release, both his strength and his reputation had basically guaranteed he would be the next Hokage.
More importantly, he'd always treated the Hyuga clan very well, and both Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata were his students.
No matter which angle you looked at it from, Hyuga Hiashi—and really, the entire Hyuga clan—had to maintain a warm attitude toward him.
"Thank you."
Kitazawa picked up the cup, took a sip, and said, "Good tea."
"If you like it, you can take some with you when you leave."
Hyuga Hiashi said casually.
Tea was expensive, but he—and the Hyuga clan—weren't exactly short on money.
Especially after they'd partnered with Kitazawa on the Ocean Heart jewelry store; the money had been pouring in ever since.
"Kitazawa, what did you come to see me about today?"
Hyuga Hiashi asked curiously. "If it's something you came here to handle personally, it must be serious."
"Clan Head Hiashi, I heard you've been having some trouble lately."
Kitazawa put down his cup and said with a smile.
"How come I don't know that I'm having trouble?"
Hyuga Hiashi looked a bit stunned.
"Hanabi," Kitazawa reminded him.
Hyuga Hiashi froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
Kitazawa was talking about whether or not to put the Caged Bird Seal on Hanabi.
"That's Hyuga clan business."
Hyuga Hiashi thought for a moment and said.
"Clan business?"
Kitazawa chuckled lightly. "Are you saying the Hyuga clan doesn't put the Hokage in their eyes?"
"Kitazawa, you've got me wrong, I didn't mean it like that."
Hyuga Hiashi said quickly.
The Hyuga clan was strong, but compared to the entire Konoha, they were still an insect shaking a giant tree.
"Kitazawa."
Hyuga Hiashi suddenly thought of something. "If you're willing to help, there is a way to resolve this."
"How do you want me to help?"
Kitazawa asked, calm and unhurried.
"If the Hokage-sama, or you, had a closer relationship with Hanabi, you could step in and stop it."
Hyuga Hiashi hesitated for a moment, then said, "For example, you could pretend to take her on as a student."
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
He had to admit, that was indeed one way to do it.
If Hyuga Hanabi became Tsunade's student—or his—then she'd count as a student of the Hokage's line.
From the Hyuga clan's point of view, that status was basically equivalent to a promise that she might become a Hokage candidate someday.
If Hanabi lost that qualification because she was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, the loss would be enormous.
After weighing the pros and cons, Hyuga Teiji (the elder) would probably give up on putting the Caged Bird Seal on her.
And if he insisted anyway, Hyuga Hiashi could use the "future Hokage candidate" angle to convince the other Hyuga ninja.
At that point, Hyuga Teiji would be isolated and would have no choice but to back down.
The only issue was: what exactly qualified Hyuga Hanabi to become Tsunade or Kitazawa's student?
That was why Hyuga Hiashi's voice had become so lacking in confidence toward the end, even using the word "pretend."
But was it really "pretend"? If anything, he'd love nothing more than for Hanabi to become Tsunade or Kitazawa's student.
"That plan only treats the symptoms, not the root cause," Kitazawa said evenly. "Hanabi's problem might be solved for now, but who's going to help her and Hinata's descendants in the future?"
"By then I'll be a main-house elder. I'll be able to help."
Hyuga Hiashi thought for a moment, then said.
"And the generation after that?"
Kitazawa pressed.
"This…"
Hearing that, Hyuga Hiashi finally caught on.
Kitazawa wanted to permanently resolve the Caged Bird problem.
But abolishing the Caged Bird Seal was impossible.
After Hyuga Hizashi died, Hiashi had indeed thought about abolishing it.
But just the briefest suggestion had made the other main-house members react violently.
And they weren't entirely wrong—without the Caged Bird Seal, there would be no way to protect the Byakugan.
At that point, the Hyuga clan would become everyone's target. Plenty of enemies would start hunting them for their eyes.
"Clan Head Hiashi, you're not going to be straight with me?"
Kitazawa said with a smile. "I came here today with the intention of helping you solve your problem, you know."
"Your… your idea of a solution is to abolish the Caged Bird Seal?"
Hyuga Hiashi hesitated for two seconds. "That's just not realistic."
"Why not?"
Kitazawa shot back. "Because without the Caged Bird Seal you can't protect the Byakugan, or because you won't be able to protect the main house's status?"
Hyuga Hiashi's expression changed at once.
Things like that were unspoken rules—you couldn't just throw them on the table in front of everyone.
If anyone other than Kitazawa had said that to him, he would've kicked them out on the spot.
"Clan Head Hiashi, you know I've got some talent for creating new jutsu."
Kitazawa produced a jutsu scroll. "This is a new technique I've recently modified. Have a look."
Hyuga Hiashi froze, not understanding why he'd suddenly changed the subject.
He forced down his doubt and opened the scroll.
One look, and his pupils shrank violently.
A modified Caged Bird Seal? The hell?
As head of the Hyuga clan, he was all too familiar with how terrifying the Caged Bird Seal was.
The Hyuga clan had existed for over a thousand years. In that long stretch of time, both the main house and the branch families had tried to study the Caged Bird Seal.
No, more precisely, the entire shinobi world had tried to study it, including all five great villages.
Whoever cracked the Caged Bird Seal would gain access to a countless number of Byakugan.
But no one had ever succeeded—even the Hyuga main house failed.
That was exactly why the main house had always slept easy.
And now, this nearly impossible thing had been accomplished by Kitazawa?
If you can modify it, you can crack it—there was no question about that.
And this modified version removed all the side effects and the main-house control authority, leaving only a pure "protect the Byakugan" function.
Kitazawa's intention couldn't have been clearer.
Hyuga Hiashi's heart was pounding. He could feel a storm coming.
What if Kitazawa hadn't come to him first, and instead gone straight to the branch families?
Or worse—what if he'd already contacted them?
From the standpoint of the next Hokage, the numerically larger branch families were obviously more valuable than the handful of main-house members.
If this improved Caged Bird Seal was rolled out, the branch families would be deeply grateful and pledge their loyalty to Konoha.
At that point, the Hyuga main house would be left out in the cold.
Cold sweat began to bead on Hyuga Hiashi's forehead at the thought.
"Clan Head Hiashi, relax. You're the first Hyuga to see this jutsu scroll."
Kitazawa noticed the changes in his expression and smiled.
Hyuga Hiashi felt a bit calmer.
Right now, that scroll felt like a time bomb in his hands, ready to blow the Hyuga main house sky-high at any moment.
"Kitazawa, what… what are you planning?"
Hyuga Hiashi steadied himself and asked.
"That depends on what you're planning."
Kitazawa said casually. "I'm an outsider. You're the head of the Hyuga clan."
Hyuga Hiashi fell silent.
He'd thought about abolishing the Caged Bird Seal. But now that the opportunity was actually in front of him, he found himself wavering.
Kitazawa wasn't surprised.
Hyuga Hiashi was in some ways a lot like Uchiha Fugaku.
But he had a much clearer sense of his own limits, and the Hyuga weren't as radical as the Uchiha. Their instinct was to maintain the status quo.
Ever since joining Konoha, they'd always supported the Hokage—whoever was in charge, they'd back them.
"I've already discussed this with Tsunade-sama," Kitazawa added. "She's on your side."
Naturally, Hyuga Hiashi didn't fully believe that.
If Tsunade supported anyone, it was Kitazawa, not him.
"The modified Caged Bird Seal really is better."
After a long silence, Hyuga Hiashi finally said, "But there are two problems."
"What problems?"
Kitazawa lifted his cup and asked.
"First, if we promote it, there will no longer be a distinction between main house and branch families."
Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath. "I'm worried the branch families will take revenge on the main house for everything that's happened."
"You don't have to worry about that."
Kitazawa's face turned serious. "Both main house and branch are Konoha shinobi. Attacking fellow village ninja is not allowed."
"That's good to hear."
Hyuga Hiashi nodded, then sighed. "The second problem is that I doubt the other main-house members will ever agree."
"That one's easy too."
Kitazawa shrugged. "Majority rule. Clanwide vote."
Hyuga Hiashi blinked.
A clan vote—the result would be obvious.
After all, the Hyuga main house had fewer than five people. The overwhelming majority of clan members were branch.
"Don't you think this is a great chance to solidify your position as clan head?"
Kitazawa reminded him. "You stand together with the branch families against Elder Teiji. If you succeed, the branch families will never forget what you did for them."
Hyuga Hiashi stared at him in amazement.
Was he… handing him all the credit?
Normally speaking, Kitazawa could've used the improved Caged Bird Seal to secure the branch families' loyalty for himself.
"I've said this before—main house or branch, in the end you're all Konoha shinobi."
Kitazawa smiled faintly.
Of course he could guess what Hyuga Hiashi was thinking.
In fact, he'd even talked about it with Tsunade.
But the more he thought about it, the less he felt the need to push things that far. Or rather, he wanted the loyalty of both the main house and the branch families.
Put simply, he was going for a win–win solution.
With Hyuga Hiashi taking the lead, all the resentment would be focused squarely on Hyuga Teiji.
Hiashi and Hinata, on the other hand, would be welcomed by the branch families.
But did that mean Kitazawa and Konoha were handing away the credit?
Not really.
As long as the branch families knew the improved Caged Bird Seal had been created by him, they would be grateful no matter what.
And honestly, Kitazawa didn't care that much.
In the shinobi world, power was everything. The loyalty of the branch families alone wasn't that big a deal to him.
His main goal was to complete his system quest and help his students out along the way.
After all, Hinata and Neji had always been very respectful to him, and every so often they even helped him trigger new system quests.
Hyuga Hiashi opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
Over the course of this conversation, his impression of Kitazawa had flipped completely.
At first, he'd thought this young man was a bit too blunt—how could you put the unspoken rules behind the Caged Bird Seal into words so directly?
But now he had only one thought: this young man… really was magnanimous and broad-minded.
He truly deserved to be the next Hokage.
"What are you planning to do now?"
Kitazawa took a sip of tea and asked.
"I'll first gather some of the branch-family jōnin to talk it through, then convene a full clan meeting and hold a vote."
Hyuga Hiashi thought for a moment. "As long as the vote passes, Elder Teiji won't be able to stop it, no matter how unwilling he is."
Kitazawa nodded.
What he'd described was exactly the process they'd just discussed.
"Elder Teiji might go for broke."
Hyuga Hiashi mused. "I'd like to invite you to attend the clan meeting as an observer."
"Sure."
Kitazawa agreed immediately.
He had a system quest to complete—if he could be there in person, he would.
"Thank you."
Hyuga Hiashi said sincerely.
"It's nothing."
Kitazawa put his cup down. "I'm just doing this for my students' sake."
Hyuga Hiashi's heart stirred.
If Kitazawa was willing to go this far for Hinata and Neji, did that mean both of them had a shot at becoming Hokage someday?
If that was the case, losing the branch families' support as the main house wouldn't matter so much.
"Since we're done talking, I'll head out. Just let me know when the clan meeting is."
Kitazawa stood up.
"Thank you for your trouble, Kitazawa."
Hyuga Hiashi personally walked him to the door.
"Bye, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Hanabi waved her little hand and shouted.
Kitazawa smiled, then turned and left.
Once he was gone, Hyuga Hiashi's face turned very serious.
He knew the Hyuga clan was on the verge of dramatic change.
Fortunately, he'd already prepared himself.
And he didn't really have a choice.
If he didn't act, Kitazawa could simply go around him.
When that happened, the main house would be staring down complete destruction.
Given the choice between sacrificing Hyuga Teiji and sacrificing the entire main house, he knew exactly what decision to make.
Besides, he'd been unhappy with Teiji for a long time.
If not for him, Hyuga Hizashi wouldn't have died.
"Tokuma."
Hyuga Hiashi called out.
"Clan Head."
Hyuga Tokuma appeared in front of him.
He'd previously served as Hinata's guard. But ever since she'd joined the Advanced Class, he'd been reassigned to protect Hanabi.
The reason was simple—Hinata no longer needed a bodyguard.
Her current strength wasn't inferior to an ordinary jōnin.
Inside Konoha she wouldn't run into any real danger, and on missions outside the village, she'd have Kitazawa and Hiruzen leading the squad, so nothing would happen.
Keeping Hyuga Tokuma as her guard would just be a waste.
"Go call these jōnin to my study."
Hyuga Hiashi listed several branch-family jōnin by name.
He didn't summon all the special jōnin and jōnin because that would draw too much attention and might alert Hyuga Teiji.
"Yes, Clan Head."
Hyuga Tokuma didn't overthink it and turned to leave at once.
"Hanabi, keep training."
Hyuga Hiashi returned to the study.
He sat on the sofa and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
Only after taking a sip did he start to feel grounded again.
Everything that had happened today was a bit too sudden for him.
After all, something this major had been decided in just a few words.
Hyuga Hiashi sighed.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the times were changing too fast.
That feeling had started when Hinata and Neji received those two bows.
Tsunade was one thing, but Kitazawa was young, powerful, and still on the rise. Who knew how much Konoha's future would change under him?
Fortunately, the Hyuga clan had chosen to build a relationship with him early.
Now it was time for that investment to matter most.
Time passed as Hyuga Hiashi wandered through his thoughts.
Before long, all the branch-family jōnin he'd called for had arrived.
There were five in total—some were the backbone of the branch families, others were standouts of the younger generation. Together, they could steer the branch families' overall direction.
"Clan Head, what did you call us here for?"
Hyuga Homon asked first.
"Take a look at this jutsu scroll."
Hyuga Hiashi handed him the scroll Kitazawa had given him.
"Alright."
Hyuga Homon opened it—and froze on the spot after a single glance.
What did he just see? A Caged Bird Seal the main house couldn't control?
What was the clan head trying to do? Cut off his own arms? Or was he testing the branch families?
Hyuga Homon's mind was suddenly full of question marks.
You couldn't blame him for overthinking it. Even with five jōnin here, if Hiashi activated the Caged Bird Seal, they'd all end up on their knees.
Hyuga Iroha noticed his expression and grew curious.
What kind of jutsu could shock him that much?
After Hyuga Homon finished reading, he passed the scroll to Hyuga Iroha in silence.
"...?"
Hyuga Iroha glanced over it and instantly wore the exact same expression.
He opened his mouth, then shut it again, and passed the scroll to the next person.
A short while later, all five had read it. They looked at each other, no one sure how to speak or what Hyuga Hiashi meant by this.
"I think this improved Caged Bird Seal is excellent."
Hyuga Hiashi said slowly. "From now on, all clan members will be branded with this version."
All clan members?
Hyuga Homon and the others felt their hearts jolt.
If everyone had the same Caged Bird Seal, would there still be any meaning to "main house" and "branch family"?
"Unfortunately, Elder Teiji disagrees."
Hiashi shifted the focus.
"...?"
Hyuga Homon and the rest immediately felt like they were being played with.
If Hyuga Teiji refused to approve it, Hiashi wouldn't be able to roll it out.
In the Hyuga clan, the status of the clan head and the elders was essentially equal—in some ways, the elder held even more sway.
They even suspected that Hiashi himself didn't agree, and was just trying to redirect their resentment onto Teiji.
Doubt flickered through their eyes.
If it couldn't be implemented, why tell them at all?
Was this really just to scare them a little?
"But Elder Teiji doesn't get to decide by himself. I intend to call a clan meeting and hold a vote."
Hyuga Hiashi said slowly.
"What?"
Hyuga Homon blurted out.
The other four reacted the same way, clearly losing their composure.
In the Hyuga clan, the branch families were the overwhelming majority. The result of a clanwide vote was obvious.
Right now, they were all thinking the same thing: Nani? The clan head's actually serious?
"The purpose of the Caged Bird Seal is to protect the Byakugan."
Hyuga Hiashi said solemnly. "All I'm doing is returning it to that original purpose."
"Clan Head speaks the truth!"
Hyuga Homon and the others immediately responded.
They were genuinely impressed by Hyuga Hiashi at this point.
Not everyone could give up power already in their hands so easily.
If they were in his place, they would never have been able to do that.
"This needs to stay secret for now."
Hiashi said in a deep voice. "When the clan meeting is held, you can inform the other branch-family jōnin."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
The five answered in unison.
They couldn't hide the excitement on their faces.
Hiashi had treated them well before, but no matter how well, they still didn't want their lives to literally be in his hands.
"You may go."
Hyuga Hiashi thought for a moment. "Set the clan meeting for the first of next month. Make sure the other branch-family jōnin return if they're away."
It was already late August, so September 1st was just over a week away.
Many of the Hyuga jōnin were out on missions, and a week or so was enough time for them to get back.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, had returned to the Anbu base.
His system quest still wasn't complete.
Because this quest required him to help the branch-family Hyuga actually switch their Caged Bird Seals over.
He had to first figure out how to transform the original Caged Bird Seal into the modified version.
Right now, he only knew how to apply the improved seal to children like Hanabi who didn't have it yet.
But the branch families all already carried the original Caged Bird Seal.
Kitazawa planned to test on Hyuga Neji first.
He'd told Neji about this back when he'd "talked him through" his issues. Now it was time to deliver on that promise.
"Kitazawa."
As soon as Konan saw him return, she stood up.
"Sit."
Kitazawa walked over to her. "I need to think through something. Don't disturb me."
Konan understood right away and let his head rest on her lap.
Kitazawa closed his eyes and started working through the problem of swapping out the Caged Bird Seal.
Summer vacation went by quickly, and soon another week had passed.
After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the academy.
Many of the Advanced Class students were already training.
He went to a different training field, where there were wooden posts set up everywhere—this was where they usually practiced throwing weapons.
During summer break, it had basically become Neji and Hinata's personal range.
Kitazawa stood there, watching for a while.
Neji was practicing Multiple Arrow; Hinata was working on Burst Arrow.
The latter was progressing a lot faster.
Multiple Arrow demanded much more—mastering it to the point where you could fire a rain of arrows was no easy feat.
Once Hinata finished Burst Arrow, she'd start on Multiple Arrow as well.
"Neji, come here."
Kitazawa called out.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Neji quickly lowered his bow and came over. "Did I make a mistake somewhere?"
"No."
Kitazawa shook his head.
Neji blinked.
"Stand still."
Kitazawa stretched out his hand and held it about a centimeter from Neji's forehead.
Neji was puzzled, but he still did as he was told and stayed put.
He soon felt chakra flooding into his forehead.
That chakra circled around inside his head a few times.
Neji grew even more confused.
Was there something wrong with his brain?
"Looks about right."
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
He'd spent a week researching how to swap the Caged Bird Seal.
Judging from this first trial, his approach wasn't wrong.
"Kitazawa-sensei, what are you doing?"
Neji finally couldn't help asking.
"You'll find out in a second, don't rush."
Kitazawa chuckled and raised both hands.
Neji immediately felt a far denser chakra surge.
It quickly enveloped his entire head.
He subconsciously frowned.
He didn't exactly feel pain, but there was a strong instinctive resistance.
If Kitazawa slipped even a little right now, he could go from mildly brain-damaged to dead on the spot.
Neji suddenly let out a quiet sound of surprise.
He felt something strange around his eye sockets—Kitazawa's chakra was like incredibly delicate threads, weaving around that area.
What in the world was he doing?
Neji wanted to speak but held himself back.
He endured the discomfort and waited for Kitazawa's answer.
Half an hour later, the chakra finally dissipated.
"What a hassle."
Kitazawa exhaled.
He felt like he'd just performed an extremely difficult surgery.
Which made sense—among S-rank techniques, the Caged Bird Seal was about as tricky as they came.
That was the only way it could go a thousand years without being cracked.
If he hadn't "cheated" by obtaining the improved version from his system, he would've had no way to deal with it either.
"Neji, activate your Byakugan."
Kitazawa smiled at the utterly confused Neji.
Neji paused, then immediately activated his Byakugan.
He was just about to ask what this was all about when he suddenly realized something was off.
Because of the Caged Bird Seal, his Byakugan vision had always been one degree short of full.
Every time he activated it, there would be a blind spot.
But this time, that blind spot was gone—his Byakugan could see the full 360 degrees around him.
Neji snapped his head up to look at Kitazawa, eyes full of disbelief.
There was no doubt the change came from whatever Kitazawa had just done over the past thirty minutes.
This completely overturned his understanding.
He'd always believed the Caged Bird Seal couldn't be changed.
Even when Kitazawa had encouraged him back then to try and crack it, he'd treated it more as a dream and a hope than something that could actually happen.
"Looks like it worked. How does the improved Caged Bird Seal feel?"
Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"Kitazawa-sensei, how did you do this?"
Neji asked, stunned.
"Good luck."
Kitazawa blinked. "I just casually did a little research on the Caged Bird Seal."
"…"
Neji was speechless.
"It doesn't just remove the blind spot—it also can't be used by the main house to control you anymore."
Kitazawa reminded him.
"What?"
Neji went rigid.
His hatred for the main house had come from two things: his father Hizashi's death, and the Caged Bird Seal's ability to control the life and death of the branch family.
Now Kitazawa was suddenly telling him that the main house could never control him again.
He felt like he was dreaming.
It was so unreal he couldn't even figure out whether it was true or not.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
After a long time, Neji finally managed to speak. "This… this matter…"
He trailed off, not knowing how to voice what he wanted to say.
"I know what you mean."
Kitazawa saw the struggle on his face and smiled. "If you're free, you can attend the next Hyuga clan meeting."
Neji was young, but steady, and his father's death had forced him to grow up early.
He understood immediately.
It seemed Hyuga Hiashi already knew about all this.
"Alright, go back to training."
Kitazawa's only goal today had been to change Neji's seal. Now that it had worked, there was nothing else to do here.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Neji said, deeply grateful.
Kitazawa nodded and turned to leave.
Neji instinctively tightened his grip on the Fatefeather Bow.
He'd never expected his day of freedom to come so soon.
From this moment on, the Caged Bird Seal could no longer chain him down.
Standing there on the field, Neji felt something inside him change—he'd become more confident and more resolute.
Kitazawa went off to practice Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique.
Near noon, Konan appeared in front of him.
"What's up?"
Kitazawa stopped training and looked over.
"Sarutobi Asuma is looking for you."
Konan replied.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. Seemed there was news about Mukade.
He nodded and walked toward his Anbu office in the Hokage building.
"Kitazawa, here's Mukade's file."
Asuma stood up when he came in and handed him a scroll.
"Thanks."
Kitazawa took the scroll.
"It's my job."
Asuma waved it off, then asked curiously, "What do you want with an ordinary jōnin from the Sand, anyway?"
To him, Mukade was just too average—normally, someone like that would never catch Kitazawa's eye.
"The exact situation isn't clear yet."
Kitazawa replied vaguely.
"Well, alright then."
Asuma didn't push. "If you need anything, just come find me."
"Mm."
Kitazawa took the scroll and went to his office in the Hokage building.
This was his office as Hokage's secretary, but he rarely came here.
He sat down on the sofa and opened the scroll.
Just as he'd expected, Mukade was still a Sand shinobi and hadn't defected yet.
According to the original timeline, Mukade would discover the existence of the Dragon Vein by accident, then flee to Rōran.
After some effort, he'd break the seal Namikaze Minato had placed on it.
Then Naruto and the others would show up and accidentally activate the Dragon Vein, sending them into the past.
Mukade had excellent luck too.
He'd arrived several years before Naruto and the rest, taken on the identity of "Anrokuzan," and become a minister of Rōran.
Yes, the name used in the original was actually "Anrokuzan"—just more "mysterious Eastern empire" influence leaking in everywhere.
Once he became a minister, he'd use the Dragon Vein's power to control puppets and raise a puppet army.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
It seemed he'd have to "guide" Mukade, the same way he'd guided Yomi before.
In other words, he'd just tell him about the Dragon Vein ahead of time.
He'd considered directly manipulating him into unsealing the Dragon Vein, but was worried that would cause too much of a butterfly effect.
So he'd decided instead to guide him and let Mukade research the Dragon Vein on his own.
Kitazawa had plenty of time anyway—there was no rush.
For now, his top priorities were the Hyuga clan and Kaguya Kimimaro, the two system quests currently on his plate.
And the best person to guide Mukade, obviously, would be Uchiha Itachi.
But Itachi was in the Hidden Mist at the moment, so that would have to wait.
Kitazawa stroked his chin.
It was a pity unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan was so difficult.
Otherwise he wouldn't have to rely solely on Itachi.
As for Sasuke, he was still too young—he couldn't awaken Mangekyō yet.
Izumi was the same age as Itachi, but her talent didn't measure up. At this point, she might not be able to awaken Mangekyō either.
And he didn't know the other Uchiha well enough.
Kitazawa shook his head and dropped the train of thought.
September rolled around.
Konoha remained peaceful on the surface, but the Hyuga clan seethed with undercurrents.
The Uchiha always held their clan meetings at the Naka Shrine.
The Hyuga had no shrine, so they used a large conference room in their compound instead.
At nine in the morning, Neji arrived right on time.
Normally, you had to be a fully-fledged shinobi to attend clan meetings.
But Neji was Hizashi's son and a gifted prodigy, so he had the privilege.
"Neji."
Hyuga Homon spotted him and waved. "Over here. Sit next to me."
"Thank you."
Neji walked over and sat down beside him.
"I heard you beat Homon?"
Hyuga Iroha asked curiously.
The last Final Exam for the Advanced Class had only invited a limited number of spectators.
He was a jōnin, but not a heavyweight like Fugaku, so he hadn't seen it firsthand.
But the results had spread—Neji, Sasuke, and the others had all made names for themselves.
"I only won because of my tools."
Neji shook his head.
"A win is a win, a loss is a loss. Ninja tools are part of your strength. There's nothing wrong with that."
Homon took it in stride.
"Between you and Hinata, who's stronger?"
Iroha looked around and lowered his voice.
"Overall, we're about the same."
Neji thought it over and told the truth.
When it came to Gentle Fist or archery, he and Hinata were evenly matched.
Every time they sparred, the loser only ever fell behind by a narrow margin.
"Do your best to surpass her."
Iroha patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"...?"
Neji was puzzled.
"Iroha, why are you saying that to him?"
Homon shook his head.
He knew exactly what Iroha meant—he wanted Neji to compete for the position of the next Hyuga clan head.
That idea, of course, was based on the improved Caged Bird Seal.
Since there would be no more distinction between main house and branch, the clan head position would come down to ability alone.
But Homon thought Iroha was being a bit naive.
In his opinion, the key figure who'd decide the next clan head was Kitazawa.
After all, he was both Neji and Hinata's teacher, and the next Hokage.
"What's going on?"
Just then, a commotion rippled through the conference room.
Neji looked up instinctively—and froze.
Because he'd just seen Kitazawa.
Kitazawa might be part of Konoha's leadership, but he wasn't a Hyuga. Why had he come to their clan meeting?
Was this about the improved Caged Bird Seal?
Neji was sharp. He instantly grasped the key point.
This clan meeting was indeed going to be a turning point.
"What's with the noise?"
Hyuga Hiashi said sternly. "Quiet down."
"Hiashi, what's the meaning of this?"
An elderly man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies spoke up.
This was Elder Hyuga Teiji.
"Elder Teiji."
Hiashi replied calmly. "The topic of today's clan meeting relates to Kitazawa, so I've invited him to observe."
"Relates how?"
Teiji frowned, clearly displeased. "Why didn't you inform me?"
"This all came up suddenly. I didn't have time to talk to you yet."
Hiashi answered without changing expression.
"Since everyone's here, why don't we begin?"
Kitazawa glanced at Teiji.
Teiji had a bad feeling, but didn't say more.
He was a Hyuga main-house elder. As long as he hadn't committed any crime, there was no reason to fear Kitazawa.
"There's only one matter on today's agenda."
Hiashi looked at the rows of branch-family ninja.
Quite a few of the jōnin who already knew the situation couldn't help showing their anticipation and excitement.
"We're here to discuss modifying the Caged Bird Seal."
Hiashi said slowly.
"Hiashi!"
Teiji shot to his feet. "What did you just say?"
The many branch-family members who'd been in the dark looked at each other in confusion.
"Elder Teiji, what is the purpose of the Caged Bird Seal?"
Hiashi turned to him and asked.
"To protect the Byakugan, of course."
Teiji answered without hesitation.
Everyone knew what else it was used for—but saying that part aloud would cause an uproar and was hardly glorious.
"Exactly."
Hiashi nodded. "Then all we need to do is preserve that one function."
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
Teiji's face twisted. Hiashi felt like a stranger to him.
Were those words really coming from the mouth of the clan head?
"I know very well what I'm saying."
Hiashi produced a scroll. "Thanks to Kitazawa's help, the Caged Bird Seal has been successfully modified."
"...?"
Teiji instinctively glanced at Kitazawa, then snatched the scroll.
He opened it at once, and as he read, his pupils shrank.
He'd already heard how famous Kitazawa was for creating new jutsu, but the Caged Bird Seal was no ordinary technique. He could modify that too?
No—that wasn't even the main issue.
"I don't agree!"
Teiji roared. "The Caged Bird Seal has been passed down for a thousand years. Even as clan head, you have no right to change it!"
"If I don't, does the clan as a whole?"
Hiashi looked at the elder's loss of composure without surprise.
"Meaning what?"
Teiji's grip tightened on the scroll.
"We'll hold a clanwide vote."
Hiashi said firmly. "If more than half of the clan agrees, we implement the improved Caged Bird Seal."
The conference room went dead silent for a heartbeat, and then boiled over like a pot of water.
"I agree!"
Homon was the first to jump up and shout.
With him leading the way, the branch-family ninja quickly understood and began chiming in one after another.
"This is unacceptable!"
Teiji tried to shout them down.
But his voice was quickly drowned out by the others.
A nameless panic rose in his chest.
Everything had clearly been arranged beforehand—and he'd been the only one kept in the dark.
Hiashi raised his hand.
The room fell silent again.
"Elder Teiji, in the face of the majority, what more do you have to say?"
Hiashi asked.
"Hyuga Hiashi, you're destroying the main house!"
Teiji spat bitterly.
"From now on, there will be no main house or branch family. Only Hyuga clan members."
Hiashi replied evenly.
"The clan head is right!"
Homon and the others shouted in unison.
"Shut up!"
Teiji exploded. "You were born branch-family and will always be branch-family! Looks like I'll have to remind you of that!"
He thrust out his hand.
Homon and the others felt their hearts lurch.
That was the Caged Bird activation sign.
"Elder Teiji."
Kitazawa grabbed his wrist. "Do you know what the penalty is for attacking a fellow village shinobi?"
"This is Hyuga business!"
Teiji snarled, face dark. "It's none of your concern!"
"Sounds like you're getting senile."
Kitazawa said bluntly—and squeezed.
There was a sharp crack.
A terrifying force surged out and crushed the bones in Teiji's right hand.
Kitazawa released him.
"Arghhhh!"
Teiji clutched his right hand and screamed.
"You all saw it—he attacked me first."
Kitazawa said with a pleasant smile.
Homon and the others nodded emphatically.
They'd had enough of Teiji throwing his weight around all these years. Watching Kitazawa punish him was immensely satisfying.
"You bastard! Die!"
Teiji lunged up and slammed a palm toward Kitazawa's back.
Kitazawa twisted, caught his wrist, and—
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
His left hand flashed through seals, and his right arm turned into wooden vines that spread up Teiji's arm and wrapped around his body in an instant.
"So it really is Wood Release?"
Iroha's eyes went wide.
They'd heard the rumors that Kitazawa had Wood Release, but this was their first time seeing it with their own eyes.
Homon and the others were equally stunned.
They knew how strong Teiji was, and hadn't expected him to be subdued so easily.
Wood Release truly lived up to its legend.
"Hyuga Teiji has repeatedly refused to repent and has now attacked me multiple times. Under village law, he should be arrested."
Kitazawa said calmly. "Clan Head Hiashi, your thoughts?"
"Kitazawa, you're the one in charge of Anbu. This should be handled by you."
Hiashi replied at once.
"Hyuga Hiashi!"
Teiji struggled violently. "You're a traitor to the main house!"
Kitazawa flicked his hand, and two Anbu appeared to take Teiji away.
Once he was gone, the conference room fell silent again.
The branch-family Hyuga all felt like they'd been thrown into a genjutsu.
First the Caged Bird Seal was modified, then Teiji was arrested—these were things they'd thought would never happen in their lifetimes.
"Next, I'll change your Caged Bird Seals."
Kitazawa formed hand seals and cast the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
He didn't dare make too many clones at once, in case his body couldn't handle the load. He stopped at twenty.
[Current Mission: Help the Hyuga branch-family ninja replace their Caged Bird Seals.]
[Mission Reward: 20% Byakugan purity.]
[Mission complete. Reward Granted.]
By noon, Kitazawa finally received his prize.
[Byakugan purity now at 80%. New ability unlocked: Byakugan: Suppressive Pressure.]
[Byakugan: Suppressive Pressure – Release massive spiritual pressure through the Byakugan, instantly knocking surrounding targets unconscious.]
[Note: Success rate depends on the target's strength, mental resilience, etc.]
Kitazawa let out a quiet hmm.
Another new ability?
His first thought was of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
She'd used this move before.
Without question, this and Byakugan: Puppet Control were both "bully the weak" cheat skills.
Knocking down a crowd with a single glare—he had to admit, the mental image was pretty cool.
But what he really wanted now was an ability that let him activate the Byakugan without any visible changes.
He just didn't know when the system would give him a quest like that.
~~~
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